Published at 13:22, Tuesday, 22 February 2011

DETECTIVES say they will get back the cash made by a Grange restaurant owner who employed illegal immigrants.

MOHAMMED HIFZUIL RAHMAN

Mohammed Hifzuil Rahman was jailed for two years at Carlisle Crown Court.

The 46-year-old, who owns the Spice Merchant in Main Street, Grange, as well as the Red Fort in St John’s Street, Keswick, and the Taj Mahal in Main Street, Sedbergh – pleaded guilty to seven charges of “assisting unlawful immigration by providing living accommodation and employment which facilitated a breach of the immigration laws.”

The court heard that by the time he was arrested in March last year, Rahman had already been given three formal warnings about his conduct and issued with civil penalties totalling £55,000 after illegal immigrants were found in his restaurants on previous occasions.

He was caught following an investigation by the UK Border Agency that started in July 2009, during which more than 35 foreign nationals were found to be illegally working under Rahman’s employment. Often these people had entered the UK illegally or overstayed their visa.

Rahman was arrested foroffences of facilitation relating to employing and harbouring individuals not entitled to be in the UK. Detective Sergeant Dave Stalker, who works for the UKBA North West Immigration Crime Team, said: “This is an example of a man who disregarded the law in order to profit from employing illegal immigrants who were brought into our communities to work for little or no pay and receive a poor standard of accommodation.

“These issues are taken very seriously and police officers work in partnership with other immigration officers across the North West to ensure we have an effective, joined-up approach to tackling the problem.

“Rahman has earned a living through the exploitation of his staff and by avoiding taxes and National Insurance payments that other legitimate employers would have had to pay. ”

As part of the investigation, an application was made under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

This has been adjourned for the benefit figure to be set.

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